NEWS STORY: NCC turns attention to interreligious issues

c. 1998 Religion News Service CHICAGO _ The National Council of Churches is considering its first official policy on interfaith relations aimed at fostering dialogue with non-Christian faith groups and condemning bigotry against other religions.”Because God is at work in all creation, we can expect to find new understanding of our faith through dialogue with […]

c. 1998 Religion News Service

CHICAGO _ The National Council of Churches is considering its first official policy on interfaith relations aimed at fostering dialogue with non-Christian faith groups and condemning bigotry against other religions.”Because God is at work in all creation, we can expect to find new understanding of our faith through dialogue with people of other religions,”the proposed policy statement reads.

The proposed statement was received by a unanimous voice vote after discussion on its first reading Thursday (Nov. 12) by delegates to the general assembly. It will be rewritten, taking into account the debate, for a vote on official adoption at next year’s general assembly in Cleveland.


In addition to the interfaith relations discussion, the delegates also heard a greeting from the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, a predominantly gay denomination that has unsuccessfully sought member status in the NCC.

The Rev. Gwynne Guibord, national ecumenical officer of the UFMCC, urged assembly delegates to use the torture and death of Matthew Shepard, the gay young man who died Oct. 15 after being beaten and tied to a fence in Wyoming, as a motivation to speak out against violence aimed at gays and lesbians.”The mandate is clear: as a Christian people, as people of faith, we must get Matthew Shepherd and all the potential Matthew Shepherds off the fence,”she said.”To do that we must do that together. We must get these potential kids off the fence.” Guibord said homosexuals will not disappear from the church.”People can hate us,”she said. People can hurt us, people can forsake us and even murder us, but they cannot separate us from our love of Jesus Christ.” Guibord’s address was greeted with a standing ovation from about half of the audience gathered for her greeting.

On the question of interreligious dialogue, the Rev. Margaret Orr Thomas, chairwoman of the NCC Interfaith Relations Commission, said the council has had”highly significant if somewhat low-key”relations with Jews and Muslims for more than 25 years.

But she said the Protestant and Orthodox ecumenical agency began working on an official policy statement setting out guidelines for such discussions only a few years ago.”It (interfaith dialogue) is a thing at least of higher profile than it used to be if for no other reason (than) … the growing diversity of the population of the United States,”she said in an interview.

Orr, who also coordinates interfaith relations for the Presbyterian Church (USA), said several of the 35 member communions of the NCC have staffers who work in a full or part-time capacity on interfaith affairs.

Representatives of the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said the NCC’s statement would help their denominations develop similar policies.

Some state council of churches also are interested in using the document to foster relations with non-Christians in their regions.


Thomas told the delegates the statement does not make any declarations about some topics that create controversy in interfaith relations, such as salvation and missions.”It does condemn any act of bias on the basis of religion and the use of coercion in proselytism,”she said.

It acknowledges that Christians continue to disagree on”whether non-Christians can be reconciled to God,”but declares that people of a variety of faiths can work together on justice issues.

Delegates suggested the committee further stress Native American tribal traditions along with non-Christian faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. Some also suggested that condemnations of Christian persecution should be included in addition to those of anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and anti-Asian biases. Delegates also said they hope the statement might include suggestions concerning interfaith marriage and interfaith worship services.

At the time of the official vote on the policy next year, the commission said it hopes to make available a”starter kit”to help churches with interfaith work.

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